# U.S. Presidential Approval Ratings: Executive Summary

---

## 🎯 BEST ESTIMATE

| Metric | Value | Confidence | Last Updated |
|--------|-------|------------|--------------|
| **Trump Approval (Nov 2025)** | **36-44%** (avg ~41%) | 95% | November 2025 |
| **Trump Net Approval** | **-13 points** | 95% | November 2025 |
| **Historical Dataset** | **12,479 polls** (1937-2025) | 99% | November 2025 |

**One-liner:** Trump's approval averages ~41% (net -13); dataset covers 12,479 polls since 1937.

**Caveat:** Polling variation of 3-7 points across organizations; use aggregates, not single polls.

---

## The Big Picture

Presidential approval ratings are the primary measure of public confidence in the president. [Gallup](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) has tracked this since 1937 using a consistent question: *"Do you approve or disapprove of the way [President] is handling his job as President?"*

This dataset contains:
- **12,479 individual polls** spanning 87+ years
- **14 presidents** from FDR through Trump (second term)
- **Multiple pollsters** for cross-validation

---

## Why This Number Matters

Presidential approval is a leading indicator for:

- **Legislative success**: High approval = political capital for agenda
- **Reelection chances**: Presidents above 50% almost always win reelection
- **Market confidence**: Investor and business sentiment
- **Governing ability**: Approval affects congressional cooperation
- **Historical legacy**: Approval shapes how presidents are remembered

---

## Current President: Donald Trump (Second Term)

### November 2025 Snapshot
| Metric | Value | Trend |
|--------|-------|-------|
| **Approval** | 36-44% (avg ~41%) | Declining |
| **Disapproval** | 49-62% (avg ~54%) | Rising |
| **Net Approval** | -13 points | Down from -9 in Oct |
| **Peak Approval** | 52% (Jan 2025) | -11 points from peak |

### 2025 Trajectory
| Period | Approval Range | Context |
|--------|----------------|---------|
| Jan-Feb | 48-52% | Honeymoon period |
| Mar-May | 44-48% | Post-honeymoon decline |
| Jun-Aug | 44-46% | Summer plateau |
| Sep-Nov | 36-44% | Government shutdown impact |

**Key Factors:**
- Government shutdown began October 1, 2025
- Republican approval down 12 points (91% → 79%) since inauguration
- Economic approval underwater: Economy -17.6, Inflation -27.5

---

## Historical Reference Points

### Highest Approval Ratings Ever
| President | Approval | Date | Context |
|-----------|----------|------|---------|
| [George W. Bush](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) | 90% | Sept 2001 | Post-9/11 rally |
| [Harry Truman](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) | 87% | June 1945 | WWII victory |
| [John F. Kennedy](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) | 83% | April 1961 | Early presidency |

### Lowest Approval Ratings Ever
| President | Approval | Date | Context |
|-----------|----------|------|---------|
| [Harry Truman](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) | 22% | Feb 1952 | Korean War |
| [Richard Nixon](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) | 24% | Aug 1974 | Watergate |
| [George W. Bush](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) | 25% | Oct 2008 | Financial crisis |
| [Jimmy Carter](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) | 28% | June 1979 | Economic crisis |

### Typical Approval Ranges
| Range | Interpretation |
|-------|---------------|
| **60-80%** | Honeymoon or crisis rally |
| **50-60%** | Strong; likely reelection |
| **40-50%** | Mixed; competitive |
| **30-40%** | Weak; difficult governance |
| **Below 30%** | Historical crisis territory |

---

## How to Interpret Polling Data

### Net Approval
```
Net Approval = Approval % - Disapproval %
```
- **Positive** (+5 or higher): More approve than disapprove
- **Around zero**: Evenly divided
- **Negative** (-5 or lower): More disapprove than approve

### Polling Variation
Different pollsters show 3-7 point variation due to:
- Sample type (adults vs. registered vs. likely voters)
- Methodology (phone vs. online)
- Question wording and order
- Timing within news cycle

**Best practice**: Use averages from aggregators like [RealClearPolitics](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html) or [FiveThirtyEight](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/approval/donald-trump/) (when available).

---

## Data Sources

| Source | What It Provides | Link |
|--------|-----------------|------|
| [Gallup](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) | Gold standard since 1937 | [Historical Trends](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) |
| [American Presidency Project](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/data/presidential-job-approval) | UC Santa Barbara archive | [Approval Data](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/data/presidential-job-approval) |
| [Roper Center](https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/) | Cornell poll archive | [Research Access](https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/) |
| [RealClearPolitics](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html) | Current poll aggregation | [Trump Approval](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html) |

### Primary Dataset Source
This Substrate dataset aggregates from [Lorenzo Ruffino's research compilation](https://github.com/lorenzo-ruffino/approval_rate_usa_president) which includes:
- 15+ professional polling organizations
- Consistent data structure for cross-temporal analysis
- Open source with community validation

---

## Confidence Assessment

| Component | Confidence | Explanation |
|-----------|------------|-------------|
| **Historical Data (1937-2020)** | 99% | Fully validated, Gallup gold standard |
| **Recent Polls (2021-2025)** | 95% | Multiple organizations, subject to revision |
| **Current Month** | 90% | Polling variation; use aggregates |

Presidential approval data is among the most reliable polling data available due to:
- 87+ years of consistent methodology
- Multiple cross-validating sources
- Scientific sampling standards
- Institutional validation

---

## Known Limitations

1. **Polling variation**: 3-7 point spread across organizations
2. **Sample composition**: Adults vs. registered vs. likely voters differ
3. **Methodology changes**: Online polling introduced post-2000
4. **Response rates**: Declining over time, may affect representativeness
5. **Timing sensitivity**: Polls capture specific moments; events shift opinion

---

## Supporting Documentation

| Document | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| [README.md](./README.md) | Full dataset documentation |
| [Trump-Approval-Analysis-2025.md](./Trump-Approval-Analysis-2025.md) | Current president analysis |
| [Historical-Approval-Polls-1937-2024.csv](./Historical-Approval-Polls-1937-2024.csv) | 12,479 individual polls |
| [Historical-Net-Approval-First-Terms.csv](./Historical-Net-Approval-First-Terms.csv) | First-term comparison data |
| [Trump-Approval-2025.csv](./Trump-Approval-2025.csv) | Current year polling data |

---

## Research Metadata

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Dataset Coverage** | 1937-2025 (87+ years) |
| **Total Polls** | 12,479 individual polls |
| **Presidents Covered** | 14 (FDR through Trump) |
| **Update Frequency** | Continuous (as polls publish) |
| **Confidence Level** | 95-99% (professional polling data) |

---

## Changelog

| Date | Change | Reason |
|------|--------|--------|
| **December 2025** | Added SUMMARY.md with executive overview | Standardizing Substrate datasets to "Answer First" schema |
| **November 2025** | Updated Trump 2025 data | Current polling integration |
| **October 2025** | Initial dataset creation | Comprehensive approval data collection |

---

## External Resources

- [Gallup Presidential Approval Center](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) - Historical data and analysis
- [RealClearPolitics Approval Tracker](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html) - Current aggregates
- [American Presidency Project](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/) - UC Santa Barbara archive
- [Roper Center](https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/) - Cornell polling archive